Noon Briefings

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said today that he was concerned about security incidents that have taken place along the border with Gaza over the past 24 hours.  He called upon all to exercise restraint and take all necessary action to prevent the risk of escalation.

The Secretary-General told the Security Council’s open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict this morning that intentional, direct attacks on hospitals are war crimes and inexcusable.  No government should stand by and all must take concrete action to uphold norms to safeguard humanity.

Over the weekend, the head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Department was in Mali visiting MINUSMA.  During his discussions with the Government and the signatory armed groups, he urged them to accelerate the pace of the implementation of the peace agreement.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights said today that the latest reports of civilian deaths and injuries in Syria revealed a “monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all parties to the conflict”.  He urged all sides to step back from a return to all-out war.

The Secretary-General addressed both houses of the Austrian Parliament in Vienna today, saying that, while he recognized the generosity shown so far by the people and Governments of Europe to migrants and refugees, he was concerned that they were now adopting increasingly restrictive immigration and refugee policies.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that food production in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has fallen for the first time since 2010. Total food production is estimated to have declined by 9 per cent from 2014, and the production of rice, the country’s main staple, has dropped by 26 per cent.

The Secretary-General welcomed the return of Riek Machar to Juba earlier today and his swearing in as the First Vice President, which marks a new phase in the implementation of the peace agreement between the Government and the opposition movement in South Sudan.

The Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, welcomed reports today of tangible progress in ending hostilities and improving the security situation in Yemen.  He also began talks with the heads of the delegations assigned to monitor support for the cessation of hostilities that took effect 10 April.

The Deputy Secretary-General, on behalf of the Secretary-General, told the High-Level Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change are inseparable and mutually reinforcing.  He stressed that the breadth and depth of 2030 Agenda calls for adopting new approaches and for breaking down silos.

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is calling for restraint after a recent outbreak of violence in East Darfur ended in an attack in El Daein on Monday.  The Operation also calls on all parties involved to refrain from acts that could further aggravate the situation.